What You Can Do Prior to Beginning the Site Plan Review Process
- Obtain historical documentation of your property.
Go to the Boulder County Tax Assessors Office to obtain current and all prior information on your parcel. Tell them you will be requiring documentation on the history of your parcel and requesting copies from the Recorder's Office.
Use the Tax Assessors Records including the handwritten record books to go as far back as you can to obtain all prior owner information.
Go to the Recorder's Office and obtain a copy of each prior owner's Deed (may be called a QuitClaim or a Warranty Deed) on the parcel. There is a small fee for each copy.
Go to the Land Use Department and request to see the file on either your parcel or on the subdivision that your parcel is included in. Obtain copies of any documents that relate to your property. There is a small fee.
Look for any Resolutions or other official documents issued by the Boulder County Commissioners that specifies if your parcel or its subdivision is classified for residential development, mining or other conditions. See if your parcel is included in any map that is part of the Resolution. Look for any letter written by Land Use Department planners (usually addressed to a realtor or the owner) that state your parcel is classified as a building parcel.
- Multiple parcels (not joined through a BLA) on a Single Deed.
If you have multiple building parcels (less than 35 acres total) on a single deed, you may choose to do some strategic changes. Determine which parcel you want to build on and then consider placing each other parcel on a separate deed and under different owner names. Consider placing one under your name, one under your spouse, etc. Then submit your SPR application for that parcel. This is not an option for parcels permanently joined through a BLA (Boundary Line Adjustment).
- Partial Mortgage Release.
If all parcels are under the same mortgage, consider a "partial release". You can keep the parcel you want to build on, utilize the other parcels as buffer zones and/or sell/deed over the other parcels.
Contact your mortgage company and ask for their requirements to obtain a partial release on your mortgage. There is a fee for this process. There are several steps including a survey of each parcel under the mortgage and an independent appraisal of each parcel as well as an appraisal of the total of the parcels. There are several professional fees involved.
Your Title Insurance will need to re-issue a policy or re-confirm your policy for a fee.
An attorney should be able to help you with a separate Deed of Trust and getting it recorded.
A CPA should be consulted for financial guidance and tax considerations, etc.
- Boulder County Land Use Code.
Go to the Boulder County Land Use Department and purchase a copy of the Boulder County Land Use Code. This costs approximately $10.00 and places you on the BOCC/LU mailing list for future Land Use and BOCC (Boulder Office of County Commissioners) Public Hearings.
- Land Use and BOCC Public Hearings.
Attend any public hearings regarding properties near your property. If any neighbor within 1500 feet of your boundary lines is going through SPR, you should receive a Land Use Department notice. Talk with your neighbor about their plan. Attend the Public Hearing. This is an outstanding opportunity to learn about SPR hearings and how the Land Use Department and the BOCC conduct a SPR hearing. You may provide support to your neighbor and gain goodwill towards your future project.
- Scheduling your "Pre-Application Conference" for Site Plan Review Application
Take at least one witness with you to this conference or ask your attorney to attend this conference. Take notes or ask to use your tape recorder.
If the Planner tells you that there is a regulation or code that will be applied to your site, request a copy of this regulation/code, etc. Keep notes of each request for written confirmation and specifics of the statement made. Don't let the Planner "rush" you. Ask for clarification of any unclear item. Ask any questions you believe to be relevant that have not been addressed.
- The Land Use Code, Surveys, Dirt Calculations, and Research.
If you do not have a survey, get one as soon as possible. An ILC (Improvement Location Certificate) is not adequate. A survey established accurate boundary lines. The structure must meet the setback requirements. The topographical survey identifies major geophysical landmarks and documents the slope of your property.
The driveway to the site must meet specific criteria. House site and fire fighting access is critical for "dirt" calculations. Expect to submit all calculations on your dirt excavations and fill. Require the inclusion of documentation of all dirt calculations by your engineer or geo-technical consultant. Submit scaled elevation plans.
Research and obtain copies of relevant wildlife, natural landmark or environmental studies that Parks and Open Space ("POS"), US Forest Service or other agencies have on file. Review the Comprehensive Master Plan and relevant maps. Request a copy of any relevant map; have Land Use date and initial it.
- The SPR Public Hearing
Go to Land Use and review the property site file for any reports from POS, Wildfire Mitigation, Etc. Make copies of the reports. Take slide photos of the property from N, S, E and W at the best light of day. Show the staked house site in the slides where possible. Show a slide of the proposed driveway entry to your property. (The slides the Land Use Planner will use will be inadequate for your presentation.) Use an overhead projector to show the topographical survey. Include the proposed site and drive on the overhead display. Tell your Planner you will require both the slide projector and overhead projector for your presentation.
Write your presentation and rehearse it. Keep it to 10-15 minutes in length. Be prepared to respond to questions by the Commissioners or refute statements made by the Planner. Make 4 copies of your presentation and summary and present a copy to each Commissioner and to the Planner before you begin.
For more information contact the Land Use Coalition at contactus@landusecoalition.org or call 303-666-7903.
Last updated August 26, 2004.
URL: http://landusecoalition.org/before_site_review.htm
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